Tumid Lupus with SLE Symptoms?
Hi! A couple years ago I visited the Mayo Clinic, which ultimate led to a biopsy and tumid lupus diagnosis.
Since then, I've also gotten the SLE label. While I don't have positive ANA, I have every SLE symptom under the sun (including tendinitis, painful joints, R.A.-like nodules and deformed finger joints, MS-like symptoms/spasms/muscle weakness, hair loss, 0 in both eyes on Shrimer's test, tachycardia/flushing, some high creatinine readings, history of colitis/lower G.I. bleeding, vasculitis bruising, looped capillaries, blah blah blah).
I've done CellCept (which helped a lot but caused me to puke all the time and lose 50 pounds). I also (miraculously enough) qualified for Benlysta and still go for once-a-month infusions. It doesn't last as long as I'd like, but it's changed my life. (I literally live for the first 2 weeks of the Benlysta cycle). 🙂
I understand tumid lupus is fairly rare, and that only 5-10% of tumid lupus patients have SLE symptoms (and almost none of those have positive ANA). I'm wondering if anyone else out there fits this profile? If so, I'd love to compare notes. Thanks!
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Autoimmune Diseases Support Group.
Thank you John, I do truely appreciate that. Today the swelling is out of my hand, which is wonderful still a lot of muscle fatigue but thankfully I just let my hands be yesterday. When it happened in my feet that is a bit harder and took longer to heal....its like any impact at all and it just goes crazy. Thank goodness my kids are older and past the Lego stage...lol
The only other helpful anything is that it seems my thyroid levels refuse to stabilize. I am constantly jumping between dosages of 137 and 150. I was diagnosed in 2008, so 12 years now of thyroid medications consistently. 125 has been my lowest dose and 250 my highest over these 12 years. Right now my face rash is very pronounced, once stress comes down it will fade a little and the deep purple centers will go away.
@ejlm
Hello, again. From what you have described, you could very well be in early menopause. You might think about seeing a gynecologist to see what treatment they can offer. Menopause is always a difficult time for women. If you can deal with those symptoms, it might make everything else more manageable. Find a female gynecologist, if you can. Does this sound like a good place to start?
I was just diagnosed with tumid lupus
Hello @debbybundy, Welcome to Connect, an online community where patients and caregivers share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others.
Are you able to share a little more about your symptoms or if you were started on any treatment?
I mostly have the skin rashes. Started on paquinil almost a month ago. I do get bad joint and muscle pains. I also had a herniated disc removed in 2018. Not sure if my spine problems are a reason..thank you for your reply
On recently did I learn I have Lupus (SLE). This news is not welcome at any age. I am 77 and am in good condition, except as I expressed to my internist “just lupus”.
Hi
Welcome to the club. Did you know there are just over 1.6 million of us and did you know if you took 10 people with Lupus and put them in a room there would be 9 women and 1 man. So I am upfront I am the 1 man. Have to tell you before going any further, I am proud to be part of such a select group.
I am definitely not an expert nor do I have any answers. I have been diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [SLE] for short. In my studies I have learned we don’t know very much. I can say I at the senior age of 77 will die with it NOT FROM IT.
The biggest challenges I’ve experienced is:
Fatigue
Sensitivity in my hands and fingers
A bluish/red discoloration of my hands and fingers
Lower back pain [from merely noticeable to extreme]
I have practiced yoga for over 20 years. I have taken Lupus on as a challenge. At an earlier point in my life (age 8) I was given a set of York Barbells. I spent the better part of the next 12 years lifting weights.
I am no expert but I have some ideas on movement that may help you and all my other Sisters and Brothers in this Elite Unit.
Namaste 🙏🏻
Here is the latest. The back pain I was experiencing really was my piriformis in my right hip. I go to Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) in Seattle. Yesterday morning what I then attributed to Lupus was so painful I could hardly get out of bed. I immediately thought go to the ER. Thankfully my wonderful Sally reminded me the last time she went to the ER for the pain she was experiencing from Pancreatic Cancer, she spent the better part of 4 of the day there and learned nothing. This is not a criticism of the ER but mainly an observation of how slammed our medical system is. So what I did was go to the Urgent Care at the VMFH here in Edmonds. It’s only a couple of miles from my home. While they couldn’t check me in until 9 they have a very nice waiting room. At 9 I checked in and was shortly in the exam room with a young doctor. I explained what I was experiencing. Hmm she said I sounds to me like your piriformis. Voila, so it’s Excedrin 3x a day, heating pad and ice packs and stretching (yoga) poses.
I am going into detail to simply let everyone know there are many ways to deal with the obstacles we encounter daily.
I still have SLE and I am very proud being a member of our Elite club. 🙏🏻
I have MCTD and Tumid Lupus. I’m having the worst time to get the tumid lupus treatment everything we have tried has not worked. So many creams and medications. My dermatologist said this is the most stubborn case she has ever seen. Is there anyone who might have a treatment plan to help with this?